Optotracing – a novel method for analytical imaging of polysaccharides in biomass and microbial tissues
Research leaders
Prof. Agneta Richter-Dahlfors, Karolinska Institute
Prof. K. Peter R. Nilsson, Linköping University
Project information
Optotracers are optoelectronic molecules with conformation dependent optical properties. These oligothiophene-based molecules are relatively promiscuous binders. Unbound optotracers are very flexible and exists in many conformations. When the optotracer binds to a biochemical entity like carbohydrates or amyloid proteins, it adopts a specific molecular conformation that generates a specific optical signature detected by fluorescence. Hene, the lptotracer molecules serve as specific detectors for polysaccharides.
While plant polysaccharides offer an incredible resource of renewable biomaterials, supporting our strives towards a sustainable society, bacterially produced polysaccharides are predominantly linked to severe medical problems. By cross-feeding our competences in i) organic synthesis and molecular design, ii) bacterial biofilm infections, and iii) renewable biomass process technologies, our team is establishing optotracing as a novel detection method for carbohydrates. The work done at KTH primarily aims at developing optotracing as a new analytical tool to instantly analyze the composition, purity, quality and quantity of lignocellulose materials in a complex matrix such as the native lignocellulose feedstock.